I can't think about anybody but you, sugar
by supervicki
Summary: Multi-chapter fic. College Au. Makogou fluff intended. Enjoy.
1. Textbooks

**Hello everyone! This is the beginning of my new Makogou (Makoto x Gou) fic that's going to be a multi-chapter one. It's basically a college AU kind of story; they don't know each other and all that jazz. So, I hope you like this and stick around for the rest of the fic :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Free! Iwatobi Swim Club.**

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><p>"I can't believe that we're not taking Anatomy together!"<p>

"Chill, we're taking three other classes together and we live in the same dorm room. It's just one class."

"Yeah, Gou, but why did you have to schedule a night class for yours?"

"Chigusa, I already went over this: One, the name is Kou and two, I got that work-study job at the cashier office, remember? On the days I have to work there, I have to have my classes at night."

Chigusa, with chestnut hair pulled up in a bun, whined on her twin bed across from Gou in their dorm room. It was the beginning of their freshman year at Tokyo University and the girls have been inseparable since the end of their middle school days. They made sure that they shared the same dorm room together and have the same classes as well. But Gou was able to receive a part-time job as a work-study student at the University's cashier office. Because of that, Gou has to take classes on the days she has to work, which will only be her Anatomy class.

"Please, Gou, I've known you for so long that I honestly don't care. Your name will always be Gou to me." Chigusa said, laying down and facing Gou.

Gou released a sigh and got up from her seat on her bed, putting on her jacket. "Whatever, Chigusa. Make sure you eat dinner at an appropriate time, okay? We have a 15 minute break in my class and that's how I'm gonna scarf my face with a sandwich." She pats her backpack and then placed it on her back. "Don't wait up for me either. You need sleep too."

"Ugh, okay, _mom." _

Gou shot a look at her, crossing her arms. "Whatever, you know I tell you this because I care about you."

Chigusa giggled. "Of course I know. My sass is a term of endearment, if you will. So, I love you!"

Gou rolled her eyes. "Oh god, love you too. I'll see you later." She said, walking out her shared dorm room.

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><p>After a long day at her part-time job, Gou just wanted to throw herself on her bed and put herself in a coma. <em>It's not even finals yet and I'm already stressed. Why did I take this job? <em>She shook her head from her wandering thoughts and walked faster to her upcoming anatomy class. She wanted to get there on time to get a good seat and hopefully get a decent lab partner.

It took her 10 minutes to walk across campus to her destination, huffing from her quick pacing to make it on time. She grabbed her water bottle and took a big gulp before putting it away and heading to the second floor of the science building, where her anatomy class awaits. Once she got there, Gou almost smacked herself in the head for not being on time. In the classroom, every spot was filled by every student except for one blacktop table in the far back of the classroom. Coincidentally, that table was occupied by one student, an olive-haired young man, while the rest of tables were filled with two partners each.

"Ahem, take a seat please."

A voice from behind her startled her. She quickly dashed towards the last open seat, catching the eye of her partner when she took her seat next to him. He couldn't help but chuckle at her frantic state when she sat next to him.

"Good morning class. My name is Professor Izumi and welcome to my anatomy course. The person sitting next to you will be your partner for the rest of the year, so I'll have you all do your greetings in a few minutes. Right now, I will do roll call."

After a quiet and awkward roll call, Professor Izumi had everyone get to know each other, briefly in two minutes, before he started class. Gou released a sigh and turned to her left to face the olive-haired boy sitting next to her. When she made eye contact with him, her words turned to mush. _Shit, he's gorgeous! And I probably embarrassed myself enough for him to think I'm weird. Oh my god, look at his muscles, he's so huge and ripped, aughhh, focus Gou! _He gave her a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Makoto Tachibana. I hope you take care of me for the year."

"Oh I will—gah, my name is Gou Matsuoka and I hope you take care of me as well!" Gou blurted out, her cheeks turning red. Makoto suddenly started laughing, trying hard not to be loud enough to disturb the class. "What's so funny?"

"Oh gosh, okay two things. One, your face is as red as your hair and two, we both have names that are for different genders, respectfully. It's just refreshing to know someone that deals with the same kind of stuff I do, you know?"

Gou huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'm glad I gave you a great laugh for today."

Makoto placed his hands in front of him in surrender. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I just couldn't help it!" He turned in his seat to face her more. "So tell me, Gou-chan, what year are you and what are you studying for?"

"Gou-chan? Already? You're quick."

"My goodness, just answer the question."

"Fine! I'm a first year and I'm studying sports therapy. Your turn."

Makoto chuckled. "No need for the hostility, Gou-chan. I'm a second year and I'm studying to be a teacher, specifically being a swimming instructor for kids."

Gou's eyebrow quirked up. "Wow, so I take it you swim yourself?"

"Of course. I was in swim club all my life, but I didn't really want to become a professional. After a small gig from the local swim club in my town, I fell in love with teaching children how to swim. It just makes me happy how much I helped them."

_Oh god, why's he so perfect._ "That's actually really awesome, Makoto. Good for you."

"Thank you, Gou-chan. So, why did you decide to go in sports therapy?"

"I, well—"

Professor Izumi cleared his throat. "Okay, quiet everyone. Time to start class." Every student halted their tongue and sat in silence, waiting on the professor's instructions. "Alright, I will pass out the textbooks for each student." Professor Izumi went back and forth passing a textbook to each student until he reached the last tables, which consisted of Makoto and Gou. "Uh, that's strange. Well, looks like you both have to share this textbook, if that's okay with you two. If not, I can see if I can order another one—"

"It's okay, Professor Izumi. We can share, if that's okay with Matsuoka-san?" Makoto interrupted, looking towards Gou.

She was about to gasp, but held her tongue. _So in front of people, I'm Matsuoka-san? Well, at least he's being polite._ She cleared her throat. "No, that's okay; I don't mind sharing, Professor."

Professor Izumi nodded his head. "Good, good."

After forty five minutes of lecture, break was let out before the students came back for another forty five minutes of more lecture. Gou sat at her desk and pulled out her sandwich from her backpack, making sure to eat as soon as possible.

"So Gou-chan, should we schedule different times for us to take the textbook back home with us? Like you take it first then the next day of class I take it home?"

Gou swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "That actually sounds good. And when we have upcoming tests, we can study together to make it easier."

It was like Makoto was smiling with his eyes, his grin had Gou smiling too; his smiles were that contagious. "That's a great idea, Gou-chan! So how about it, you take the textbook home with you first?"

Gou finished up her sandwich, dusting her hands together to get rid of crumbs. "I love your chivalry, I do, but you don't have to be so polite into letting me take it first."

This caught Makoto off guard. "But Gou-chan, I insist."

Gou sighed and faced Makoto. "Okay, I think there's only one solution to this." She propped up her arm on her table. "We have to arm wrestle."

Makoto just stared at her deadpanned. "Gou-chan, you know I will beat you, even if I wasn't a male." He flexed his arm to show her.

"Ugh, you're right. Oh! Do you have a coin?"

He fished out a coin from his pocket. "I sure do. I call heads, you tails?" Gou nodded her head in affirmation. He flipped the coin, causing it to land on the desk. They both leaned forward to see the result. "It's heads."

"See? Fair and square."

Makoto chuckled. "Right, definitely fair and square. I'll bring it back to you next class, which will be Thursday."

About an hour later, class was released. Makoto and Gou exchanged their goodbyes and then Gou headed back to her dorm. Once she walked in her dorm, her eyes popped out. Chigusa lying on the floor, face first. Gou ran to her. "Chigusa! What happened? Are you okay?!" She carefully flipped her over so she can see her face.

Chigusa groaned. "Gouuuuuu."

"What is it? What's wrong?!"

"Gouuuuuu, I'm starving." Gou rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a protein bar, before shoving it into Chigusa's mouth. "What the hell, Gou?! You almost killed me!"

Gou stood up from her spot and headed to her closet. "Don't even start, Chigusa. You scared me half to death."

"Oh come on, it was just a joke."

"It's not a joke when that's exactly how I found my mom!" Gou whipped her head back to Chigusa, her tear-filled eyes glaring at her.

"Oh god, I'm sorry. I really sorry, I completely forgot. I just, I'm an idiot." Chigusa walked up and enveloped Gou in a comforting hug. "I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry."

Gou smacked her face, getting rid of the rest of tears forcefully. "No, it's fine. It's been a few years already." She leaned back and patted Chigusa on the shoulder. "It's alright."

Gou took out her pajamas and started changing while Chigusa awkwardly sat on her bed. "So, how was class today?"

"Good. I met a boy."

Chigusa instantly beamed. "A boy? Give me the details, hon!"

Gou rolled her eyes. "Chigusa, it's no big deal, he's just my lab partner."

"Whatever, he could be the one."

"The one what? It's nothing. Now drop it and go to bed."

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><p>"So I take it you're not a night person?" Makoto's voice rang on Gou's left side. She was currently laying her head on her desk when Makoto came up and sat beside her before the break for Anatomy was over. She switched sides to look up at Makoto's curious gaze beside her.<p>

"Nor am I a morning person." She groaned. She sat back up and stretched her arms in front of her. "Sorry, I'm just tired from my job this morning."

"If you don't mind me asking, what job do you do?" Makoto queried.

"I am a work-study student in the cashier's office. We deal with student payments and refunds, so we usually get the nasty kids. 'I want my money now' or 'it's this much for classes' is what I get all the time and usually they are not the kindest. That's why we have a bulletproof window when speaking to students."

Makoto gulped. "B-bulletproof?"

Gou nodded nonchalantly. "Yep, it's mostly for people that want to hit us. It's all good, I'm safe. I just dealt with a lot of rude students this morning and that's why I'm exhausted."

"I see. I'm sorry you had to deal with all of that. If it makes you feel any better, I can take notes for you so you won't strain your eyes."

"Oh, Makoto, you don't have to, really. I need to pay attention and I don't want to burden you. It's all good, so don't worry." Gou said, giving him a soft smile.

Makoto tilted his head to the side. "Okay, if you say so. Just don't push yourself too hard now."

Gou rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, really."

Before Makoto could say anymore, he was cut off by the professor's voice announcing the end of their break to start the rest of lecture.

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><p>While the professor was going over his lecture, Makoto glanced from his notes and checked on Gou. He couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment. Gou was fast asleep with her hand supporting her head from falling to the side. He grinned at her before turning back to his notes. <em>She owes me later on. <em>He quickly took out another piece of paper to copy what he already had on his note page and continued copying down notes for two.

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><p>"Gou, wake up. Come on." Gou felt a nudge on her shoulder before opening her eyes. She was met with Makoto's emerald-colored eyes facing her own.<p>

"Oh god, I'm sorry." She said, quickly sitting up in her seat. Class had just dismissed and students were busy putting their stuff away in their backpacks. "Was I out the whole time?" she asked Makoto.

He nodded and chuckled. "Yep. It's no problem, just try not to do it again. Here, today is your turn for the textbook." He passed the book to Gou, their fingers touching slightly. He gave her a warm smile. "Make sure to catch up on chapter 2, okay?"

Gou gave him a smile back. "Thank you. Are you sure you don't need it over the weekend?"

"Nope, I think I got everything I need for now. See you next Tuesday." Makoto waved then left with the rest of the students.

Gou looked back down at the textbook in her hand and opened it up to chapter 2. "Well I'll be damned." There in the textbook were the notes for today and a little scribble at the bottom of the page that said: "I told you so." Makoto signed his name and wrote his number for Gou. "That little…"

She left the classroom with the biggest grin on her face. "Chigusa is going to have a kick out of this."

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><p><strong>So as I hope you can tell, I have the same job as Gou. But I'm not a work-study person anymore, I got a promotion to a higher position! <strong>

**Let me know what you think, I honestly hope you enjoyed it so far. :D**


	2. Kitten

**Hey guys! Thank you for the feedback of this new fic, it's honestly really fun to write. Here's a new chapter and I can't wait to work on the next one for you all!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Free! Iwatobi Swim Club.**

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><p>"Did I really do that? Oh my god, I did. I did, I did. How did I actually do that?"<p>

Makoto continued to question himself while walking back to his apartment, holding his red-tinted face.

"I can't believe I gave her my number. Will she even call me? Text me? Oh god."

He fiddled around with his keys to get a good grip, trying to unlock his front door. "Oh god, Oh god."

Before he could place his keys in the keyhole, the door swung open. "Makoto. I can hear you coming down the hallway, what happened?" His best friend and roommate Haruka opened the door for Makoto and stared at him with an unamused gaze.

"Oh Haru! How can I do such a thing?! I've never done—are you wearing your apron over your swimsuit again?" Makoto glanced at Haru, whom was wearing such and holding a ladle. Haru grunted and turned to walk back to the kitchen. "Wha, sorry, Haru! I mean, I know you're working towards being a pro-swimmer, but it's starting to get a little chilly out." He finished his sentence while closing the front door.

Makoto heard Haru's remark from the kitchen. "So?"

Makoto sighed, taking off his shoes at the front door. "Never mind, Haru."

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not?"

"I, uh, gave a girl in my class my cell number."

What followed was a clang from the kitchen, startling Makoto. He ran over to the opening of the kitchen and noticed Haru staring wide-eyed at the ladle he dropped on the ground. Haru glanced up at Makoto.

"What is it, Haru? You okay?" Makoto asked concerned.

"I'm just so proud of you." Haru said in his stoic voice, but surprisingly with a smile on his face.

Makoto gawked at Haru before saying, "I'm leaving." He shifted his stance and headed to his room.

"Let me know when she calls you." Haru raised his voice enough for Makoto to hear him from a distance. "If she does."

"Haha, so funny." Makoto rolled his eyes and started changing out of his clothes into something comfortable._ I really hope she does. Eventually, I guess. Oh lord, how did I get the courage to do that…?_

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><p>A month and a half had passed and Makoto still didn't receive anything from Gou. However, he still talks to her before and after class and especially during the break time. Makoto also walks her half ways to her dorm so she can arrive safely. Part of him didn't want to press on the subject if she's seen the message where he left his number or not but he really wanted to know.<p>

After the professor dismissed the class on Thursday, everyone packed up their bags.

"So your roommate was scouted? Wow, he must be a really good swimmer. You know, my brother is working to become a pro-swimmer too." Gou told Makoto while placing her backpack on her back. During the past month and a half, they began to learn more about each other.

"Your brother? Does he go to school here too?" Makoto inquired.

"My onii-chan? No, he's in Australia. He's studied abroad over there for years but I do see him time to time, especially for the holidays." Makoto and Gou had made it outside and were walking towards her dorm. "Now that he's an adult, onii-chan talks to my mom and me more, catching up on how we are doing and stuff. During his teenage days, he had a lot of attitude and didn't want to talk to anyone. I want to think it was because he was acting like a teenage boy but I honestly think he hit a wall and lost his ambition in swimming."

"How could you tell?"

"I dunno. When we were growing up, he used to talk about how much he loved swimming and how he wanted to pursue our father's dream. He was very adamant about that. But a few years after he was over in Australia, we stopped hearing from him. When we tried to call him, but he was very moody and brash; my mom and I were worried about him. A year after that, I guess he got his spark back and was calling us back home more often. When he finally came home to visit, we were all emotional; I swear we were a mess." Gou chuckled. "Eventually, we became a family again. That's the best feeling of all."

"I'm glad things worked out, Gou. I'm really glad." Makoto said, giving Gou a heart-warm smile.

Gou glanced at Makoto. "Thank you, Makoto. Really. Oh, this is our stop. Thanks again for walking me all the way over here. You honestly don't need to, you know."

"No need to worry. I want to, just to make sure you're safe." He gave her one last smile. "See you next week, Gou."

"Bye! Be safe!" Gou called out to him. Makoto answered with a wave of his hand and walked the opposite way back to his apartment.

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><p>"I wonder if I should gather up the courage again to ask her if she saw my number. Should I? Or am I too pushy if I do that…" Makoto spoke to himself, trying to figure out something while ten minutes of walking to his apartment had passed. Suddenly, he heard a ring coming from his pocket. Makoto pulled out his cell phone and was surprised to see an unknown caller calling him. He hesitantly answered, "Uh, hello?"<p>

"Makoto?" he heard a familiar voice from the other line. "It's Gou. I, um, have a favor to ask you. Is it too much trouble for you to come back to my dorm?"

Makoto's heart leapt up in his throat. "Oh, no, it's no problem at all! I actually haven't even reached my apartment yet. I should be there in ten minutes, okay?"

He heard Gou's bubbly laughter in his ear. "No worries. See you then." She said before hanging up.

_I wonder what she needs. Okay, keep it together, Makoto. _He quickly turned around and fast-paced back to Gou's dorm house. If she asked, he was actually five minutes away and that's why he got there faster. When in actuality, he ran for his life to Gou's place. If, and only if, she asks. Especially why he's winded and trying to catch his breath from running. He'll just say he has asthma; it'll be believable.

When he reached Gou's dorm, she was standing out front holding something in her arms. "Hey, Makoto. Sorry to ask you to come back over here after you just left."

He swallowed. "No, no, it's no problem. So what do you need help with?"

Gou furrowed her eyebrows. "Do you think you can help me sneak him in?" She pointed down in her arms.

Makoto curiously looked at what she was holding and gasped. It was a small black kitten, skinny to the bone.

"Please help me sneak him in? I couldn't leave him out here; he needs a home really bad."

The kitten meowed and rubbed his head against her chest. Makoto asked, "Where did you find him?"

"In a bush near the dorm. I heard it crying and couldn't just leave it. I mean, look at his face!" She picked up the kitten and cooed at him at eye level. "You're so cute, I can't leave you alone!"

The kitten began to purr and nuzzled his face into Gou's cheek.

Makoto grinned. "I guess you're right. I wouldn't want to leave him by himself. It just feels wrong." He stretched a hand out and started petting the kitten on the head. The kitten purred more and nuzzled Makoto's hand. "He likes me."

"I mean, who wouldn't."

Makoto blinked. "What?"

Gou's face flushed. "Uh, I mean-let's figure out how to get him in my dorm room." She awkwardly shuffled away, turning around to signal Makoto to follow her. She led him around the dorm house, all the way to the back of it and stopped. Gou held the kitten to her chest with her left hand while she use her other one to point to a window on the second floor. "That's my dorm room up there. I, uh, hope you don't mind but do you think you can give me a lift, Makoto?" She asked, pleading with her big, ruby eyes.

Makoto glanced between the eyes of Gou and the kitten, both longingly staring at him. Makoto then shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not?"

Gou's eyes beamed with delight. "Thank you so much, Makoto! I definitely owe you one! Okay, do you think you can crouch down in front of the wall so I can stand on your shoulders?"

Makoto smiled and did what Gou instructed.

Before Gou walked over to Makoto's hunched posture, she gently placed the kitten in her backpack. "You'll be safe in here, little guy." After placing her backpack on her back, Gou carefully, with the support of the brick wall, climbed on top of Makoto's back on his shoulders. She looked down, eyebrows scrunched in worry. "I'm not heavy, am I?"

Makoto chuckled. "Hardly. Keep going, Gou-chan, you're almost there."

Using her strength, Gou slowly stood on Makoto's shoulders, still using the wall to steady herself. She heard Makoto's voice below her. "You ready for the scary part, Gou?"

"Wait, what?"

Suddenly, Gou's sense of balance heightened when Makoto stood up from his crouched position. She squealed from the surprise height, grasping her hands on the brick wall.

"Don't worry, Gou! I got you!" Makoto hollered, holding her ankles for support, and his case, protection.

Gou steadied her breathing. "Uh-ahh, t-thanks, Makoto!" She blurted out. Gou looked up at her dorm window and saw Chigusa staring at her incredulously. Since the window was closed, Gou couldn't hear Chigusa's animated face. Gou shook her head and pointing to her ear, indicating she couldn't hear her. Chigusa rolled her eyes, pulled out a scratch piece of paper and pen, scribbling something quickly before placing it against the screen:

**The RA has alarm on window, moron! **

Gou's face twisted in annoyance. "That little bitc-ackk!" She suddenly lost her footing on Makoto's shoulders. Just when she thought she was going to crash to the ground, Gou felt two strong arms catch her in time. "Oof!"

"Ahh, that was close. Are you alright, Gou?" Gou looked up at Makoto's concerned face, her cheeks heating up after realizing how close she was to him.

She quickly hopped out of Makoto's arms. "Oh, I am super okay! Thank you for catching me, Makoto. That would've been a nasty fall, am I right?" Gou awkwardly talked fast, dusting off her arms and legs.

Makoto covered his mouth to keep his laughter from escaping. _She is too cute. _He quickly cleared his throat. "So, what exactly happened up there?"

"Huh?" Gou was checking on the kitten in her backpack, pleased to know it was safe. "Oh, my roommate Chigusa told me I couldn't open the window because our RA is super strict. Gotta resort to plan B."

Makoto tilted his head. "What do you have for plan B?"

* * *

><p>Makoto looked at Gou bug-eyed. "This isn't going to work, Gou."<p>

Gou gave him a wry grin. "Oh, I think it will."

Makoto sighed. "You owe me big time."

"Don't worry; I'm positive this will be full proof. And yes, ask me anything you want after we're finished, okay?"

Makoto nodded at her. "Alright, wish me luck." He then began walking inside the dorm house to a certain someone. Gou's next plan consisted of Makoto distracting the Resident Advisor, her name is Saeko, and Gou would sneak inside with the kitten in her backpack. Gou watched Makoto hesitantly walk inside and looked around for Saeko's room, which is the first room on the first floor; that way she can hear anyone sneak past. Saeko was a tactless girl; junior at the university and a straight A, on time student. Chigusa found out she doesn't go out as much and doesn't have enough friends; Chigusa figured that's why she's so strict being the R.A. Gou actually felt bad for her but it went away when Saeko didn't let Gou use the restroom late at night. Four times. Gou already had too many things on her mind to even bother to report her; she would run outside to the woods to piss and then run back up the stairs, in which Saeko would yell her to walk. That's why Gou decided to get Makoto to distract her; she'll probably be distracted from how handsome he is and his muscles... _No, Gou, that's only you. Control yourself, dear lord. Oh, I hope Makoto can do it. _

Makoto walked carefully to Saeko's door and brought up a hand to knock. Before Makoto could make a fist to knock, the door swung open. A girl with short dark hair and black-rimmed glasses answered. "You don't belong here." She said deadpanned.

Makoto blinked, surprised that she answered unexpectedly. "Uh, hi, I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"There shouldn't be any parties here or any males here." She stoically said, peering at Makoto through pursed eyes.

"No, no, I wanted to know if Kusanagi Saeko lived here."

Saeko was literally shooting daggers at Makoto. "Why do you want to know?"

Makoto shifted his feet. "Well, I wanted to talk to her about her thesis. I'm a biology major and I was fascinated of what she wrote."

Saeko's eyes grew wide. "What? Are-are you serious?"

_The things I do for people. So glad Nagisa taught me how to lie. Otherwise I'd be a blubbering mess. _He gave her a warm smile. "Of course I am. Are you able to help me find her?"

Her face grew wild-eyed. "Oh yes, yes! That's actually me! I'm Saeko Kusanagi! Please come in, come in!" She stood back so Makoto can come inside her room.

He almost panicked but kept up his facade. "Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Saeko giggled uncontrollably. "Oh stop. Please come in."

Before Makoto waltzed inside, he brought his hand behind his back and gave a thumbs-up, signaling Gou from outside the front window where she was hiding.

Gou noticed and nodded. _I so owe Makoto my life. I mean, he didn't have to go out of his way like that to help me. He's so great. _Gou stooped low and practically crawled to front door. She carefully tiptoed past Saeko's door until she unexpectedly heard a loud sneeze from behind it. Gou jumped from the loudness of the sneeze. Before she could quicken her steps, Saeko's door busted open. "Ms. Matsuoka, do you by any chance have a cat?"

Gou slowly turned around and her eyes widened. Saeko's nose was rosy red and she was scratching her arms. She can see Makoto peer out of the door, mouthing an apology to her. "No..."

Saeko's eyebrows furrowed. "Ms. Matsuoka, I know you're lying. I'm extremely allergic to cats. If you have one, may I ask you to take it out of here immediately? I don't want to take out my epi-pen yet." She said sternly, sniffling.

Gou stood there speechless. "I, uh, okay. I'll go now..." Her face was blank when she turned back towards the door, shuffling her feet slowly. Once she was out the front door of the dorm, Saeko turned to face Makoto.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry about that. I think we're going to have to take this another day." She leaned forward and slipped something in Makoto's pocket seductively. "Here's my number so we can go over my thesis."

Makoto awkwardly chuckled. "Th-thank you so much for your time." He bowed then waved. "I'll see you."

Saeko watched him go. "Oh my..." She gazed at him dreamingly until she had to sneeze suddenly.

* * *

><p>Makoto walked out of the dorm house, bewildered. "That was so weird." He said to himself.<p>

"Makoto! Pssst!" He heard Gou call out to him from the bushes.

Makoto raised an eyebrow, laughing. "Do you live in the bushes too?"

Gou scowled. "Whatever!" She slumped her shoulders. "I guess this plan failed too. I'm so sorry, Jiji." She glanced behind her back.

Makoto's emerald eyes stared at Gou sympathetically. Suddenly, his eyes glistened in delight. He walked behind Gou and opened up her backpack, carefully prying the kitten out of the bag. "Well, Jiji, I think it's time for plan C."

Gou peered at Makoto. "What are you talking about?"

"That plan C is Jiji will live with me." Makoto said, scratching Jiji behind the ears. Jiji purred and cuddled into Makoto's giant hand. "See? He's happy about it."

Gou's expression was vacant. "But Makoto... You don't have to do that. You already had done so much."

Makoto stopped his actions and stared at her, a pleasant smile on his face. "I want to. Poor Jiji needs a home and this may be the only solution. I love cats and my roommate doesn't mind it. Plus our apartment allows pets. It's basically a win-win."

Gou stared at him deadpanned. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I want to. He needs a home and you can visit him anytime."

Gou's eyes watered up. "Makoto, I really can't believe this. Thank you, thank you so freaking much!" She wiped her eyes and grinned. "I owe you so much. Tell me whatever you want, really!"

Makoto tilted his head in wonder. "Hmm..." Then a coy smile graced his face. "A date."

Gou's face went blank. "What?"

"Go on a date with me."

Her cheeks began to flush. "I, why-, uh..." She stammered. Gou paused then took a deep breath. "S-sure. I'd love to."

"Saturday night? At 6? I'll pick you up." Makoto offered, smiling at her reaction.

"Yes, that's perfect. I got to go now...thank you again, Makoto, really."

"No problem, Gou-chan. Have a good night."

"You too." She quickly walked back inside the dorm house, leaving Makoto and the kitten alone.

He didn't move from his spot after seconds had passed. Suddenly, his face flushed beet-red and he started to stutter. "D-did I seriously just do that?!" He questioned aloud. Then he looked down at the kitten in his arms. "Y-you saw that right, Jiji?"

The kitten just tilted his head in wonder and meowed.

Makoto chuckled to himself. "Right. Cats don't talk. Oh god, how am I going to explain you to Haru?"

* * *

><p>"So you managed to ask her out but got a cat in the process?"<p>

Makoto carried Jiji in his arms and smiled nervously. "Ye-yeah. Funny how that happened, huh?"

Haru just stood there, shooting glares between Makoto and Jiji. Then he sighed. "You're taking care of it, not me."

"Got it. Don't worry, Haru."

"If I find him in the tub, it's out."

"Understood."

Haru continued to stare at Makoto. "Even though it was unnecessary what you did, you managed to ask her out. Congrats."

Makoto grinned. "Thanks, Haru."

Haru nodded then turned around to head back to his room. "Your cat just pissed on your shirt."

Makoto leapt in his spot, holding the cat away from his chest. "What?! Aww, man... What do I do?"

"Not my problem, lover boy." Haru said before shutting his bedroom door.

"Ah, Haru!"

* * *

><p><strong>I wanted to name the kitten after Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. It was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid and I finally got it for Christmas! Haha, well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.<strong>

**Let me know what you think! :)**


	3. Vending Machines

**Wow, I'm so sorry how long overdue this and my other fic is. Hello everyone! I'm alive, I'm sorry for updating so late. I just started uni (I transferred) and everything is so hard to get used to, plus I have work and stuff at home. But I promise I will update as soon as I can and finish the last chapter of High Tides. I got so much ideas for this one fic, so don't worry, you'll love it. I hope you like this filler chapter (again sorry).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Free! Iwatobi Swim Club/Eternal Summer.**

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><p>"It's about damn time you got here. How did you forget that Saeko has that alarm thing on the windows? I mean, how?"<p>

Chigusa was sitting on her bed, scolding Gou when she walked through the door. Chigusa didn't even bother to look at Gou's distant face, just continued to scold her while rolling her eyes.

"It was like the first thing you said when we were unpacking. I mean, I applaud you for having a plan and getting that guy Makoto to help, which who must be gigantically tall to be able to pick you up like that. Man, I wish I could've seen him. I was too busy trying to get your attention. You got anything thing to say, Gou-hey, what's wrong?" Chigusa voice faltered when she finally glanced at Gou. Gou was laid flat on her bed, staring at the ceiling with vacant eyes. "Gou? Are you okay?"

Gou blinked multiple times. "F-far from okay. I'm ecstatic." She whispered.

Chigusa scrunched her eyebrows. "Huh? Your body language is contradicting what you're telling me."

Then Gou sat up with a goofy grin on her face. "Both plans failed but Makoto offered to take the kitten in..."

"Oh my gosh, really?! That's great!"

"...and he asked me out on a date on Saturday."

"GOU!"

Gou backed against the wall, startled from Chigusa's outburst. "What?"

Chigusa jumped from her bed, bounded in front of Gou and took her hands into her own. "This is amazing, Gou! I'm so happy for you!"

Gou giggled. "Chigusa, please it's not that big of a deal."

"Nuh uh, it's a huge deal! I mean this is basically you're first real date, right?"

Gou rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Chigusa; say it louder so the whole dorm house can hear."

"No, I'm serious! This may be the one! Sure, start out slow and stuff but come on, Gou. I think this is amazing and perfect for you. It'll get over your childhood crush on Sou-"

"Stop! That ship has sailed, thank you very much." Gou sighed. "Definitely sailed a long time ago. It's okay though, I'm over that now."

Chigusa nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Plus, from what you told me, Makoto has better muscles than him."

Gou tilted her head and tapped her chin with her index finger. "Hmm... They both got good muscles... It's a tie."

"Wow, that's a huge step."

"I know, huh?"

Chigusa and Gou suddenly laughed from their conversation, lying down side by side on Gou's bed.

Gou released a breath. "He's pretty amazing though."

"Who?"

"Makoto. But we just met though."

"So? Lots of couples met in college and have been together ever since. Or this will be a beautiful fling. Whatever it is, you deserve to be happy. Especially now."

"Yeah. You're actually right. When do you think I should tell him about my mom?"

Chigusa hooked arms with Gou. "When the time comes, you'll know. However, becoming a couple is the first step to that, though."

Gou chuckled. "Right, right. You're gonna have to help me find an outfit Saturday."

Chigusa sat up. "Say no more, I already have an outfit in mind AND how to fix your hair."

Gou groaned. "Really? My hair? Don't tell me you're going to do my makeup?"

Chigusa nodded. "Of course, what are best friends for?"

"Fine. Just not too extravagant. I don't like wearing all that goop."

"Please, Gou. You'll thank me."

* * *

><p>The next day, Gou had a grueling day at her job. It was a Friday, so they closed early and she didn't have a class that day. However, it didn't mean the students Gou dealt with weren't less overbearing. It was the middle of the semester and students were relentless on the question of where were their refunds. Gou practically thanked the lord that she was surrounded by bulletproof glass. Students can get testy when they don't have their money. Not like there was an incident where someone brought a gun, but multiple times of people wanting to hurt the cashiers with their hands. It's terrifying, yes, but at the end of the day everything works out.<p>

Gou was the only one working that day, which had her closing by herself. Once it was 3:55 pm, Gou began to balance her drawer and pack up. Once it hit 4 o'clock, she brought down the gate and left the office.

_I can't wait to crawl into bed and sleep. These students are getting to me..._ She looked around the hallway and noticed how empty it was. _Huh, I guess everyone went home already. Geez. Oh, I'm really thirsty. _Gou walked to the vending machine that was at the end of the hallway and rummaged through her backpack for change. _Hmm, soda is 600 yen, let's see..._ She brought out the change, placed it in the coin slot, and selected her choice. _Gimme the soda, gimme. _***CLUNK* **_What…_

Gou's soda that was on the way to her awaiting hand got stuck halfway down. Gou groaned out loud, "Nooooo, I want my soda!" She kneeled down in front of the opening slot to purchases. "I'm gonna have to get it myself!" Gou reached her right hand in the slot and stretched it as far as she could go. "Almost there… I think I got—Ah! I got it!" She had the soda can in her hand. "Now, time to get my drink—oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit." Gou tried bringing her arm back out, but she ended up stuck. "No, you can't be serious!" She whined out, trying hard to pull herself free.

"Uh, need any help?" she heard a voice from behind her. Gou turned her head and looked up at the source. Her tense face relaxed when she realized it was Makoto. She blushed inwardly when she realized he was wearing sweats, a t-shirt, and his glasses. _He needs to wear his glasses more often, oh my god._

"Thank goodness you're here, Makoto! I, uh, wow this is hard to explain." Gou awkwardly chuckled. "You always end up bailing me out of trouble, huh?"

Makoto grinned and kneeled down next to Gou. "No worries, really. You're just very accident prone."

Gou huffed. "Well, that makes me feel better." She said sarcastically.

"If anything, it makes you cuter."

Gou's head flew up in surprise. "What?"

"What? Uh, let-let's get you out of here." Makoto flushed, clumsily trying to pull Gou's arm out. Gou winced from sudden pain. "Man, you're sure stuck in here all right, does it hurt a lot?"

Gou shook her head. "Not that much but when you pulled on my arm, it suddenly hurt."

Makoto bowed his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"Don't worry, Makoto. If anything, I deserve it because I was such a klutz getting myself stuck in this situation." Gou said, giggling. "Seriously, it's not your fault. So, what were you doing here in this building?"

"Uh, I needed to talk to my advisor about internship ideas but I guess I was too late."

"Yeah, we close at 4 on Fridays because we all want to go home." Gou answered with a smile.

Makoto chuckled. Suddenly, he reached further in the vending machine slot and pried Gou's arm out more. "I think I'm almost there…"

Gou held her breath; Makoto's face was inches away from her own. She can see how focused his face was, his eyebrows scrunched together, and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Her heartbeat quickened when he felt his hand fumbling around with her arm, still trying to tug it free. When she noticed that Makoto grunted out of frustration, he got closer to her, his bent legs on each side of her and his other arm holding him up for support was next to her shaky one. He was so close, so warm…

"Done! That should do it—"Makoto paused, suddenly taken aback of how close he was to Gou. He noticed how red her face was. "I…I didn't think this was going to be our first date instead."

Gou's flushed face dispersed when she couldn't help but stifle a grin from his words. "Makoto! You just ruined the moment!" She laughed, throwing her head back. Her laugh was contagious; causing Makoto to join in with her.

"Sorry, sorry. I had to say it." With his arm still holding her own, he stood up from his spot, carefully bringing Gou back on her feet. He raised his eyebrow when he saw what was contained in her hand. "All of this just for a soda?"

Gou placed her free hand on her hip. "I was thirsty and I wanted a soda, excuse me."

Makoto held his hands in front of him in defense. "No worries! You could have gotten something back at your dorm."

"You're right. I could have waited." Gou pouted. "I just wanted something to drink now."

Makoto chuckled. "Well, you got it now. Shall I walk you back to your dorm?"

Gou's head perked up. "Sure, if you want to."

"I'd be glad to."

* * *

><p>Gou turned to Makoto. "Thank you for walking me back. I'll see you…tomorrow."<p>

"Definitely. Be ready by five instead, okay?" He reached forward and grabbed her arm that still held the unopened soda. He gently pried it out of her hand then started walking away.

"Wha-what was that for?!" Gou yelled at him, another flush forming on her face.

Makoto called over his shoulder. "Think of it as compensation for this evening. Text you tomorrow!"

Gou was speechless. "Wha…" Suddenly, her eyebrows furrowed. "That was my favorite soda, Makoto Tachibana!"

Her statement caused him to chuckle out loud, still walking away.

"Aww, damn it." Gou said her head down in defeat. "That seriously was my favorite soda." She then felt a buzz coming from her phone in her pocket.

It was a text message from Makoto:

_Now it's my favorite soda._

"Argh, Makoto!"

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think! :)<strong>


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